Ch 18: Post-War and the Cold War: Help and Review

1. Post-War American Politics: Foreign & Domestic Policy

Post-war American politics presented new challenges for the future of America in the areas of foreign and domestic policy. Study the different policies post World War II surrounding communism, social rights and infrastructural changes.

2. Post-War American Life: Culture of the late 1940s & 1950s

Following World War II, America experienced a 'boom' of optimism amidst geopolitical anxiety. Discover the culture of the US in the late 1940's and 1950s through the growth of family-life suburbia, the Red Scare, and artistic developments in pop-culture.

3. The Counter-Culture of Post-War America

After World War II ended, the United States experienced a counter-culture to protest the nation's socially conservative mainstream culture. Explore the counter-culture of post-war America, including the Beat Generation, 'Beatniks,' and other counter-culture groups, including homosexuals. Learn about the Red Scare, communism, civil rights, and liberated attitudes towards sexuality.

4. The Cold War: Definition, Causes & Early Events

Learn the definition of the Cold War. Identify the genesis of the Cold War and understand the role of Truman, the policy of containment, and other early Cold War events.

5. United States Involvement in the Korean War: Causes and Effects

Learn about the Korean War, its causes, and the United States' involvement. Identify the Korean War's commencement, and understand its shifts, the role of China in the war, and the forging of an armistice.

6. McCarthyism and the Red Scare: Definition, Causes & Effects

Sen. Joseph McCarthy's post-World War II campaign to expose communists in America, dubbed McCarthyism, sparked a general public fear called the Red Scare. Learn more about McCarthyism and the Red Scare, including the causes and effects of it, and the rise and fall of McCarthy and McCarthyism.

7. The Cold War in America: Effects on Everyday Life

The Cold War was a period marked by fear of communism and nuclear attacks in America. Explore how President Truman's Loyalty Program, J. Edgar Hoover's investigations, and the threat of nuclear attacks instilled fear into the everyday lives of Americans.

8. Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Cold War

Dwight D. Eisenhower was the president of the United States from 1953 - 1961, when the Cold War was taking place. Discover the policies and programs he created to combat communist expansion, such as the New Look policy and containment, and the domestic policies under his regime.

9. The Election of 1960: Kennedy vs. Nixon

The election of 1960 served as the venue for the first-ever presidential debates. Understand the candidates pitted against each other--John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon--the issues discussed, and the ensuing outcome of the elections.

10. John F. Kennedy and the Cold War

John F. Kennedy attempted a lot with both domestic and foreign policy, yet failed in his short presidency. Learn how John F. Kennedy's Cold War legacy was shaped by foreign relations and his attempt to defeat communism by spending.

11. The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was a melancholic day that forever altered the course of American history. Learn about the events of November 22, 1963, the aftermath, and how the assassination was investigated.

12. The Vietnam War: Causes, Conflicts & Effects

The Vietnam War was a proxy war, or one in which third parties fought on the instigators' behalves, that proved disastrous for the United States. Learn the causes, conflicts, and effects of the Vietnam War by exploring the prelude to America's participation including how Eisenhower's choices factored into the start of the war, the influences of Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon on the war, and the Tet Offensive.

13. Domestic Responses to the War in Vietnam

In contrast to American patriotic support during WWII, the Vietnam War sparked a domestic response of protests and draft dodging that reached it's height in the 60s and 70s. Discover the ways this era was marked by the emergence of 'hippies', opposition to the draft, the tragedy of the Kent State massacre, and how this unpopular war impacted the civil rights movement.

14. The Election of President Nixon

The election of President Nixon in 1968 happened alongside various political events, mainly the Vietnam War. Learn more about Richard Nixon, his candidacy in the 1960 election, and his victory in the 1968 election.

15. What Was the 26th Amendment?

The 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution allowed its citizens to vote at a minimum age of 18, rather than 21. Learn some background information regarding the 26th Amendment, setting the stage for the amendment, the adoption, ratification, and the effects of the amendment.

16. President Nixon and the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War between South Vietnam and the United States against North Vietnam involved the administrations of five presidents between the mid-1950s and mid-1970s. Review the origins of the conflict during the Eisenhower presidency, escalations of the war by Johnson and also by Nixon, who later tried but was unable to end it before being forced to resign in 1974.